Unit reinforcement for concrete construction.



IPATENTED APR. '1, 1908."-

RQA. CUMMINGS. UNIT REINFORCEMENT FOR CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27, 1906.

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FIG.6

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WITNESSES. C

- 1t is impossible to get sufficiently skilled To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT A. CUMMINGS, OF BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A ru 7, 1908.

Application filed December 27, 1906 Serial Nat 49,732.

Be it known that I, RoB'ER-T'A. CUMMINGS, a'resident of Beaver, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented'a new and useful Improvement in Unit Reinforcements for Concrete Construction; and I do hereby declare the followingto' be a full,

clear, andexact description thereof.

This invention relates to a reinforcement unit for concreteand similar structures and more es ecially a reinforcement unit for girders, lleams and the like.

The invention also relates to a connecting and spacing member for such reinforcement unit.

' In reinforced concrete work, the practice most generally followed is to ship the various reinforcing members in separate or unconnected condition, these being set up on the job by-the workmen employed. Frequently labor to set up the reinforcement properly,

' and in any event it is diificult, with the appliances vailable. on the job, to so position the arte and hold them in proper position, to evelop the maximum efliclency of the reinforcement. It-has also been proposed to assemble the reinforcement at the factory and s'lii'p the same in that'condition, but in all prior practice of'this kind, as far as- I know the assembled parts have been bulky and liable to bending and other. damage in handling and shipping, so that when put in.

' ''the'body'ofconcrete; An distortion of'the place the various members, and especiall the tension and shearing rods,'are not in suc exact relative positions as to .develop the maximum efficiency.

In the development and perfectionof reinforced concrete work, it is ,being demonstiatedthat inorder to secure maximum efiiciency of the metal in combination with theconcrete, itis necessary that the me al parts be not only of the desired size and members orany materia f displacement of 1 them from their required location decreases the efficiency of the reinforcement to a degree entirely outofproportion to the amount I of distortion or displacement. I It is, there-' fore, desirable thatthe reinforcing members be not distorted or bent and that they-be located practically at the exact" theoretical position for maximum efficiency. l

The object of the PIBSGIlt'lIlYGIltlOIl is to provide a.-reinf orcement unit which can be the job if advisable, in a manner that will insure the members being held'in the exact prolper relative positions while the concrete 1s emg deposited, which is com act and can be shipped Without danger of distortion or in'ury to-the members, and which'is-proin the job by unski led labor and with the assurance that the main members, thereof will be in such location as to develop their maximum efiieiency. l

The invention comprises a reinforcing unit together with connecting members therefor, arranged to adjust themselves-so as to compensate for variations in the size of the main members in order to bring the latter to their exact roperrelative positions. The invention a so comprises a connecting member or clip of simple construction, easy ap lication andi whieh adjustably connects the main members as well as providing means for spacing the main members the requireddistance from the centering or casing.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective-mew of a reinforcement unit for girders embodying my invention; Fig. 2'

connecting and spacing means therefor. The longitudinal members com rise a pluralityoi bars or rods 1 preferably ormed into loops by having their ends united as at 2 to. form the loo s, and having'the end portions bent upwarc ly as shown at 3, Fig. 1 ,said upwardly bent end portions taking care of the 'shearln strains at the end of the girder. Associate with these loop members area plurality of rods or bars '5- preferably of larger. cross sec' or b'ars'5 arefplacedin a different plane from that in which the rods or bars 1 arepla'ced, the particular arran ement, shown being above the rods 1', but lf'desired they may be below the rods-1; The construction and lo cations of these parts is substantially the same as-shown in 1' of my Patent N 0.

built upat the factory, orelsewhereor on 6 comprises main longitudinal members and,

tional area than the rods or bars 1. "The rods 764,884, 'July12, j19,04. The connecting vide with means ermitting it to be placed means for these bars or rods is of such a nature as to hold them fixedly in their proper relative e to compensate for variations in the sizes of the rods. Theconnecting mem- ,bers comprise some means for engagingthe ous forms of connecting means will adapt themselves for this purpose and those shown in the drawings areintended to be largely 'made of t illustrative of the rineiple although the form there shown is (168.!) and simple of-construction and easy of application. These connectin members, as-s own, comprise a series of 00 ed clips 7 formed from bent bands or strips of metal of eneral U shape and being provided in their egs with openings 8, or notches, for receiving a transverse connectinglmember or rod 9. The clips are e necessary size to embrace the rods as shown in Fig. 4, those embracing the top rods having their legs projecting-downwardly and those embracmg.,.the bottom rods having their legs projecting upwardly and the connecting rod 9 bein inserted through the alining openings in the egs of the to and bottom chps, thus uniting the clips and t erebysecuring the rods or bars imposition.

To 'cfimpensate for variations in size of the rods or bars a certain amount of adustability is required in order that each of t e rods or bars may be forced outwardly, that is, either upward y or downwardly, into close engagement with the loop of its clip. This re secured by providing a yielding and expansi-' ble member or members with the rod 9. Such yielding or expansible member maybe an o n-seam tubeof thin sheet metal or in rm of sheet metal strips, asshown at inserted through the alining openings 8 in the legs of the clips after which the rod 9 is driven through between these strips, thus expanding the latter and as they do not conform. ex-

actly to the shape of the rod 9, ortions thereof press against the rods 1 an 5 to force the latter tightly against the loops of the clips. If some one or more of the rods should ha pen to be somewhat over-sized, the thin sheet metal members 10 merel colla se or yield' opposite such'rod orro s to t e de-'.

t. As a result, all of the rods are sired ext tightly eld in the loops of their clips entirely irrespective of an slight variations in the size of therodsc T e clips will of course be chosen of a size and with so .as to get the proper distance between the centers of the rods to secure maximum efiicienc and'by mea'nsof. the yielding resilient mem rs 10 a sufficient ad ustment is provided to compensate for any'variations in the positions but so constructed as to be ad ustab .built of .a series of indepen egs of a length 12, the corners of which will yield sufiiciently to act in the same manner as the stri s 10. This square rod can be drawn in with t e fiat faces horizontal and then turnedto bring a diagonal axis to vertical position. 7

y A sufficient number of connecting members will be provided to tie the longitudinal bars together with the necessary de ee of seen-- embers are tclips, it is obvious that the reinforcement unit can .be made of any desired number of rods or bars, 1 and 5, by merely extending the number of clips sidewise. The parts can be easily assembled at the factory or elsewhere and the looped'ends 2 of the bars 1 are referably left straight, and in this form t e unit is shipped to the place of use., Inasmuch as it is very compact,- it occupies ,a ininimum amount of space in ship in .and the main members thereof are not liab e to bend. On the oh, the looped ends of the bars 1- can be rity. Since these connectingi rea ily bent upwardly to the desired extent.

In order to msure the reinforcement being held a proper distance from the centering or casing, it is preferred toprovide the connecting members with suitable projections for contacting with. the centering or casing. This,v as shown, is provided for by cutting tongues 14 from the U shaped clips, leavin the same united at the loo of the clip, an then bendin one or both 0 said tongues outwardly, as s own in Figs. 2' and 4, to form a spacing member, resting'on the centering or casing 15. The result is that the unit can'be put in position by unskilled labor and with the assurance that when embedded in concrete it will develop maximum efliciency.

Fig. 7 shows the invention applied to a unit reinforcement having a single series of longitudinalrods 5, each of which has connected thereto a clip 7 with the limbs rojectingupw'ardly,-and a'transverse re 12 he connecting clips or members described are cheap of manufacture and easy to apply.

They ermit the building up of un ts '0 any desired size and are also-'ca able of havin their location relative tot e longitudina barsfhh anged at, will. These clips, when united m the manner, described, form conmembers which securely and ac--' necti curatlify hold the parts in position and which to some extent are adjustable to compensate for variations in size or diameter. The unit is compact and'can be readily handled and shipped and placed in position with the as sumnce that all of the parts are in such pos1- thin as to develop the maximum efficiency.

What I claim is: 1. A reinforcement unit for concrete and like structures, comprising a plurality of loncomprising retaining or confining means arranged to engage the longitudinal members externally and prevent them from spreading apart, and means between the rods for forcing and holding the same against the exterior restraining means, said connecting members including a yielding element.

3. A reinforcement unit for concrete and like structures, comprising a plurality of longitudinal members, and connecting means therefor comprising clips, one such clip engaging, each of said longitudinal members, and a transverse rod connecting said clips, said connecting means including a yielding element.

4. A reinforcement unit for concrete and like structures, comprising a plurality of longitudinal members, and connecting means therefor com rising a plurality of inde end ent clips, eac clip being U shaped ant provided with alining openings in its le s, one such clip embracing each longitudina member and having the holes in the legs spaced from the loop of the cli a distance less than the diameter of the ongitudinal mmber embraced by such clip, said plurality of clips being placed with the legs substantially parallel, and a transverse rod extending throughthe openin s in said clips and binding together the c ips and longitudinal members.

5. A reinforcement unit for concrete and like structures, comprising a plurality of longitudinal members, and connecting means therefor comprising U-sha ed clips provided with alining openings in t eir legs, one such clip embracing each of the longitudinal members, and a transverserod extending through the openings in said clips, said connecting means including a yielding element.

6. A reinforcement unit for concrete and like structures, comprising a plurality of longitudinal members arranged in two different planes, and connecting means therefor comprising a plurality of clips, one such cli engaging each longitudinal member and the clips of the members in the two planes being reversely arranged, and a transverse rod connecting said clips.

7. A reinforcement unitifor concrete and I racing each of the longitudinal members and the clips of the-longitudinal members in the two planes being reversely arranged, and

a transverse rod connecting said clips, said connecting means including a yielding element.

8. A reinforcement unit for concrete and like structures comprising a plurality of longitudinal members, and connecting means therefor comprising loop members embracing the members and provided with openings, a transverse rod extending through said open ings, and a yielding and expanding member also extending throu h the o enings and lo cated between the ongitu inal rods and transverse connecting rod.

9. A reinforcement unit for concrete and like structures comprising a plurality of longitudinal members, and connecting means therefor comprising U shaped clips arranged to embrace the longitudinal members and provided With openings in their legs, a transverse rod extending through said openings, and a yielding and expansible member also extending through the openings and located between the transverse rod and thelongitudinal members.

10. A reinforcement unit for concrete and like structures comprising a plurality of lonitudinal members, and connecting means for the same comprising a plurality of independent cli s, one such clip embracing each ongitudina member, and a member extending transversely of the longitudinal members and connecting said clips, some of the clips being rovided with outwardly extending projections to'contact with the casing.

11. A reinforcement unit for concrete and similar structures, comprising a plurality of longitudinal members, and connecting means therefor comprising a plurality of independent clips, one such clip embracing each such longitudinal member and being provided with a loop for engaging the longitudinal member, and a transverse member connecting said clips, some of said clips being pro vided with outwardly extending projections to contact with the casing.

12. Areinforcement unit for concrete and similar structures, comprising a plurality of longitudinal members, and connecting means therefor comprising a plurality of independent clips, one such clip embracing each such longitudinal member and being provided with a loop portion engaging the longitudinalmemloop, some of said clips being provided with her and with openings at right angles to said i brace the longit'u with the vided with openings, a, transverse member extending through said openings, said conor casing, andn trans-' Y with the centermg or casing. reinforcement unit for concrete and 8,1, members and proaegom necting means inclndin a yielding element,

and some of said clips eing provided with outwardly projecting tongues to contact 15 In testimony whereof, I the said ROBERT A. CUMMINGS, have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT A. CUMMINGS.

Witnesses:

' F. W. WINTER, JOHN F. WILL. 

